As per usual, the UFC will be holding another year end card in Las Vegas featuring some of the promotion's most talented fighters.
Only this time there are a few differences. Most notably, the fact that the year end card -- UFC 108 -- will actually be held in the new year, January 2nd to be exact.
The usually star-studded event is trending that way again with three of its first four rumored bouts. The main attraction looks to be a middleweight title defense as Anderson Silva (25-4), the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, defends his title against recent middleweight acquisition Vitor Belfort (18-8).
Silva, 34, is coming off a dominating performance in the light heavyweight division against former champion Forrest Griffin. Belfort, 32, meanwhile, is coming off a big win over another former champion in Rich Franklin in his return to the Octagon. It will certainly be an intriguing showdown between two of the best and most explosive middleweight fighters in the sport.
In addition to that fight, there is a rumored battle between light heavyweights Rashad Evans (18-1-1) and Thiago Silva (14-1) and a heavyweight fight between top contenders Gabriel Gonzaga (11-4) and Junior Dos Santos (8-1).
Each of those two rumored contests has numerous intriguing storylines. Evans is coming off a brutal knockout loss to Lyoto Machida in which he lost his belt while his opponent, Silva, will be looking to continue his winning ways by completing the Jackson camp sweep by knocking out best friends Keith Jardine (who he KO'd at 102) and Evans. Which fighter will put himself back into title contention at 205?
Meanwhile at heavyweight, two Brazilian natives will do battle. Will youth prevail? Or will the veteran savvy Gonzaga have too much power and speed -- not to mention experience -- to derail the up-and-comer?
We shall see if the card develops as expected. So far so good however, for the promotions' highlight event of the year.
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